Gunko remained at the helm, her posture rigid, her eyes fixed on him with unnerving intensity.
"Imu-sama," she called out, her voice cutting through the lingering tension. "Before you depart... a moment?"
Imu paused and turned towards her "Yes, Gunko?" His voice was smooth and controlled but the hint of madness from moments before still flickered in his eyes like dying embers.
Gunko took a step forward, her usual composure replaced by something resembling hesitation. "Since you are leaving me to forge my own path... this crew will need an identity. A name to strike fear in our enemies and to command respect." She met his gaze directly. "I ask that you name my pirate crew."
A Wide smile spread across Imu's face. He considered the options, his mind racing through possibilities that reflected Gunko's request he thoughts of many name which appeared in his mind after few seconds thinking about it he finally break the silence.
"Since you ask..." He gestured vaguely towards the direction of Mariejois. "How about the Celestial Pirates."
The name hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Gunko's eyes widened slightly, understanding the layers immediately.
"The Celestial Pirates," Gunko repeated, the words feeling both foreign and powerful on her tongue. She bowed her head deeply, a flicker of fierce pride igniting in her eyes. "It is an honor, Imu-sama. I will make this name feared across every Corner of the sea."
Imu's smile widened this time it is genuine and honest smile though still touched by the darkness within him. "See that you do, Gunko. Let the world tremble not at the false gods of Mariejois, but at the true power that walks among them. Let them learn what 'Celestial' truly means."
Without another word, Imu turned fully towards the endless sea. The air around him began to distorting like heat haze.
A low, guttural sound rumbled from deep within his chest. Then with a sound like tearing something, massive, leathery wings which have black color erupted from his back.
The wings were not feathered or bat-like but they were something ancient and primordial which is resembling the wings of a fallen angel sculpted from shadow and abyssal power.
The sheer force of their manifestation sent a shockwave across the deck.
Gunko instinctively braced herself, her cloths whipping violently in the sudden vortex.
The portraits rattled against the wall, the painted eyes of Dragon, Blackbeard, Shirahoshi, and Luffy seeming to follow Imu's ascent.
Imu gave one last look at Gunko, The final unreadable glance that held both command and something akin to farewell. Then with a powerful downstroke of his monstrous wings he launched himself into the night sky.
He rose rapidly, a dark silhouette blotting out the stars, the purple veins of his wings casting an eerie, flickering glow on the churning sea below.
Within seconds he was nothing more than a speck against the moon then gone entirely swallowed by the vast darkness of the North Blue.
Gunko stood alone on the deck, the wind now merely a breeze without Imu's presence to stir it. She looked at the empty space where She had stood then at the four portraits leaning against the wall.
Dragon's revolutionary fire, Blackbeard's predatory darkness, Shirahoshi's ethereal power, Luffy's chaotic freedom they seemed more significant now. every portraits have its own meaning which only Imu can fully understand.
She touched the these portraits then looked towards the horizon where her master had vanished. "Celestial Pirates," she whispered testing the name again. It felt heavy with destiny and danger with the weight of Imu's ambitions.
Turning back to the helm, Gunko took a deep breath and squaring her shoulders.
The ship felt different now charged with purpose, named by a king who wore crown in shadows.
The North Blue stretched before them, no longer just a route, but a hunting ground. The Celestial Pirates had been born, and the world would soon learn to fear their coming.